Kingsport City Schools Reducing Energy Use and Costs
KINGSPORT ‚¬ Kingsport City Schools has been placed among the top
ten school systems in the state with the lowest rate of energy use per
student, according to a report released by the Tennessee Department of
Educations Energy Efficient Schools Initiative.
The report noted that Kingsport City Schools has reduced energy costs
by an estimated 22% from 2003 to 2008. In 2003, Kingsport ranked 21st
of 136 systems in the state for lowest energy use per student. The
school system improved its ranking to 8th in the state in 2008.
The savings is especially notable as the school system has added
several office facilities and expanded the Dobyns-Bennett High School
campus with the opening of a new art wing, field house and an
instrumental building in the same time frame.
The further reduction of energy costs was targeted as a major budget
reduction initiative last year, according to KCS Director of Facilities
David Carper. An example of this initiative includes the installation
of a centralized energy management system that allows administrators to
control building temperatures from one location.
Classrooms temperatures were adjusted from the normal operating set
temperature of 72 degrees to a summer set point of 80 degrees.
Temperatures in classrooms have been regulated to 72 degrees during the
school day in the warmer months and 68 degrees in the winter months.
When the school day is over, temperatures are adjusted to 80 degrees in
the warmer months and 60 degrees in the winter months.
With the new centralized temperature control system, the school system
realized an 11% decrease in energy usage in June and July of 2009
compared to the same time period in 2008 ‚¬ a savings of more than
$21,000 in two months. Carper said several school facilities saw a
reduction in energy usage that ranged from 10 to 44% in June and July
of 2009.
We are very pleased with the results of this initiative. Not only is
reducing energy usage and costs beneficial to our school operations and
to city taxpayers, it is also the right thing to do in terms of raising
awareness of energy use in our schools, according to Kingsport City
Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Kitzmiller.
The school system hopes to realize additional energy savings with
the installation of solar panels in the Dobyns-Bennett Career and
Technical Center, along with the geothermal heating and cooling system
operating at John Adams Elementary School.
For more information on Kingsport City Schools energy reduction
efforts, contact Amy Greear, Director of Communications, at (423)
378-2123 or David Carper, Facilities Director, at (423) 378-2196.
The Kingsport City Schools have also been
awarded a $44,625 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Schools
program grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
ARC funding will benefit the Career and Technical Education (CTE)
Department at Dobyns-Bennett High School. The project, titled Seminars
in Green Collar Job Preparation, will fund installation of a
photovoltaic solar power system atop the CTE Center.
The installation will offset a portion of the energy consumption of the
new distance learning computer lab in the CTE Center and will serve as
a learning tool for a series of green collar job awareness and
preparation seminars. CTE students will be involved in the design and
installation of the solar equipment and web-based tools will allow
students to monitor the units energy output in real time. The
installation of the solar panels will occur in the Spring of 2010.
We are excited to receive the energy efficient grant from the
Appalachia Regional Commission, said Kingsport City Schools
Superintendent Dr. Richard Kitzmiller. The project is doubly
beneficial for our students and our schools. Our students will learn
more about future jobs in green technologies and our school system will
utilize this new equipment to further reduce energy consumption.
Lesson plans provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy program will be used in conjunction
with green collar career workshops to raise student and community
awareness of energy efficiency, renewable resources, and career
opportunities in the expanding green collar job market. Program
curricula and learning tools will be utilized across a wide spectrum of
Career and Technical programs of study as well as traditional academic
courses in math and science.
For more information, contact the Kingsport City Schools Office of Community Relations at (423) 378-2123.